Emily Eedle (1841-1887)

Emily was born in England on 20 January 1841 to David Eedle (1814-1894) and Ann Eedle nee Gibbs (1812-1877) (reference; reference). The family came to the South West from England on the Simon Taylor and settled in Australind where her siblings Ephriam (1843-1844), Fanny (1847-1909) and Maria (1849-1896) were born (reference). The family were early settlers of the area, naming their land Frogmore in Brunswick and Crendoo in Donnybrook (reference). David was a farmer in the 1860s and owned 60 acres in the Wellington District in 1857, which he drastically increased to 500 by 1867 (reference). From 1867 to 1870, he was the Town Trust Chairman and in 1874 was the Honourable Secretary of the Wellington, Nelson, Murray Agricultural Society and a Justice of the Peace (reference). He was responsible for about 50 employees between 1864 and 1874 (reference). 

Emily was a teacher at the first school in Brunswick, the Brunswick Church School, between 1867 and 1870 (reference; reference). In 1867 a large tea meeting was held at David Eedle’s house to fundraise for the school (reference). Over 80 people attended the fundraiser (reference). The school was first established through a public subscription but was supported by the government in 1867 (reference). The report on this event praised Emily’s excellence as a teacher and as the schoolmistress (reference). 

She became the first headmistress of the Bunbury Girls’ School in 1871 (reference). Emily was paid £60 for the year, whereas her male counterpart George R Teede, headmaster of the Bunbury Boys’ School, received £100 (reference). The girls’ school was located in the first government hospital (reference; reference). In 1879 in a Government Schools report, Emily was praised for having good moral control over her pupils (reference). 

In 1884 she was part of a Bazaar in aid of Church funds in Bunbury in November 1884 (reference). The Bazaar received praise in The Daily Newspaper and the stalls, one of which was run by Emily, were very good and filled with talent (reference). 

In 1885 Emily was no longer working as she was sick (reference). She was granted six months of sick leave before retiring in 1886 due to her illness (reference; reference; reference). Upon her retirement, she had been awarded the highest pension possible under regulations (reference). Emily moved back to her old home in Brunswick, presumably with her parents, to convalesce, and was reported to be getting better in October 1886 (reference). However, Emily never recovered and passed away on 19 December 1887 at Benger after a long and painful illness at 46 years old (reference). She never married, so she was able to pursue her career as a government schoolmistress (reference). Her old furniture was sold a year later (reference). She is buried in the Bunbury Pioneer Park Cemetery (reference).

Thank you to Julie Baynes for the photograph of Emily.